Are you getting married, need invitations; did you have a baby, need baby announcements? These are just a couple of big announcements that occur in our lives. When we have something like either of these milestones happening, our first priority is to notify the people who are nearest and dearest to us, the next thing we consider is the manner in which we spread the news.

Some of the benefits of going with Basic Invite for your simple birth announcements, for example, as opposed to another route are as follows:

Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers almost unlimited color options with instant previews online. Once you select a design you can change the color of each element on the card to over 180 different color options so you can make sure the card is exactly how you want it down to the littlest detail.

Basic Invite is one of the few websites that allows customers the ability to order a printed sample of their actual invitation so they can see exactly how it will print as well as the paper quality before they ever have to place their final order.

Basic Invite is just as colorful with our envelopes as we are with our invitations. Customers can choose from over 40 different colors when it comes to their envelopes so that they can make their invitation stand out even before it is opened. All of their envelopes are peel and seal so the envelopes can be quickly and securely closed.

Use of their free address collection service to request addresses with just three simple steps. Share a link, collect addresses, and get free envelope printing.

Sounds pretty convenient right? Find out for yourself by using this company the next time you are planning to announce a special milestone event!

Well, being a family is wonderful but it means your costs multiply, food, clothes, housewares, everything goes from 1 to however many family members are in your household. Here’s where coupons come in handy.

Saving money on things you need is always a bonus, part of making your house a home involves making home improvements and you can do this by visiting Home Depot, and now thanks to Groupon, you can save money there with these Home Depot coupons. This is your opportunity to improve your home with these fantastic deals. We’re always looking for ways to make our home better and more livable and these deals help make that possible.

Do you have a home improvement project that you’ve been putting off because you know it is going to be costly and you want to prioritize your money for other things. If you are anything like our family, you currently have one or more home improvement projects in mind as you are reading this; whether it’s a new or improved bath, kitchen, or living space. So, you can take on that home improvement project today by visiting Home Depot and using one of the many Groupon coupons for money-saving deals your family and your pocket will appreciate.

Los Angeles is a dynamic and lively city that offers various forms of entertainment and quite a number of activities for health, wellness, fitness and leisure. Some of the best workout programs are available in Los Angeles, where celebrity culture, healthy living and adventurous people almost seamlessly exist. A few of the world’s unique fitness programs are only found in this effervescent city. Tone your body LA-style, with some of the best exercises programs you’ll find right in the city.

1. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts

For people who prefer to work in groups, it is pretty easy to find a Les Mills exercise class around Los Angeles. If you prefer to work out at any time, some of the HIIT workouts are available on demand. Because each individual’s fitness level and taste are different, Les Mills offers several HIIT training choices, each one lasting for only 30 minutes.

Les Mills Sprint is HIIT training using an indoor bike. It’s a quick workout but the effects go beyond the half hour. With a minimum of two sessions a week, you’ll be burning fat and building a leaner body in no time. Les Mills Grit helps you build lean muscle and improve your strength with the body weight exercises and activities using weight plate and barbell.

For the more athletic types, there’s the Les Mills Grit Plyo. It uses a bench and is a mix of agility training and jumping exercises that ensure you burn excess fat, build leaner muscles and keep your body is superb athletic form.

For improving cardiovascular fitness, go for Les Mills Grit Cardio. This workout is just as challenging as the others, with a higher level of intensity with various body weight exercises. All of the HIIT workouts are set to pulsating and motivational music that are sure to keep you inspired to get those muscles moving.

2. Stand-up Paddle-boarding Yoga

Ever heard of doing yoga exercises on a paddleboard instead of a mat? With LA being close to the ocean, you’ll enjoy the sun, sea and surf with this innovative yoga version called stand-up paddle-boarding yoga or SUP yoga. The sessions are conducted at Marina del Ray and the class fee includes rental of a 10-foot paddleboard. You’ll receive 15 minutes of paddling instructions before you head out on the water to do asanas. Your gear? A yoga attire that can withstand getting wet, a wetsuit or even a swimsuit. You’ll engage your core more with SUP yoga as you’re challenged to keep your balance while doing the yoga poses.

3. Circus Arts

Many children dream of being in the circus as it represents something fun and exciting. While the fun and excitement will still be there, the school teaches a combination of various circus acts with proper movements that make you flexible, strong, and agile and in shape. You’ll be learning so many things, from trapeze to juggling to contortion, using actual equipment used by circus performers.

Never fear, as the classes/workouts are designed by a former Cirque du Soleil aerialist, so you can expect precision and professional expertise. You’ll receive some of the best floor and aerial exercise training that gives you a full body workout. Fancy yourself hanging from colorful silks while doing some death-defying moves? Don’t take the exercises for granted. Stretching exercises alone last for 90 minutes!

4. Pound

Exercise benefits the entire body especially the cardiovascular system. While different workout programs target different parts of the body, Pound is an intense, full body cardio workout. The program was developed by Cristina Peerenboom and Kirsten Potenza, two avid female drummers. You perform various exercises combining Pilates, yoga and aerobics to the beat of the drum (literally). As you exercise, you pretend to make out various rhythms on an imaginary drum, using Ripstix. These are specially designed quarter-pound drumsticks for exercise. You’ll definitely burn up to 900 calories in 45 minutes in this rock star-like atmosphere.

5. Hoopnotica

Elevate the ordinary hula hoop moves into a fitness regimen. Hoopnotica brings back the hula hoop craze, using weighted hula hoops as exercise equipment. If you’re only familiar with using a hula hoop to circle your waist, you’ll be amazed about what it can actually do to keep you fit and trim. Hoopnotica classes take about an hour. It cleverly uses the hula hoop for stretches and low impact aerobic exercises. While having fun with the brightly colored hoop, you’ll be toning your core and loosening your hips. The workout is said to burn about 400 to 600 calories each session, depending on your level of fitness and your weight. The use of the spa after class is included in the fee.

If you are seeking high-quality skincare products that are free of parabens and artificial ingredients, you should consider Timeless Skin Care’s anti-aging serums. Our serums are specifically designed to turn back the hands of time and give your skin that youthful glow that you desire. We believe in producing serums that are gentle on the skin and capable of creating the cosmetic results you want.

Our Timeless Serum is a combination of our best hyaluronic acid serum and vitamin C serum. This unique and gentle combination makes our product the ideal choice for individuals with oily skin. In addition to preventing signs of aging, our top selling Timeless Serum offers the following benefits.

The vitamin C serum can be used on a daily basis, and its effects will intensify over time. A natural antioxidant, vitamin C can rapidly build collagen and reduce the signs of aging and stress. After integrating our serum into your skincare routine, you will find that you look and feel younger than ever.

If your skin is showing signs of stress or dryness, you will quickly notice the hydrating effects of our hyaluronic acid serum. Upon application, it will help dry skin retain moisture throughout the day, without the heavy, greasy feel that other lotions and moisturizers cause. Like the vitamin C serum, the hyaluronic acid serum should be used conservatively on a daily basis for maximum results.

Natural and Affordable Anti-Aging Serums

Here at Timeless Skin Care, we are fully devoted to offering effective and natural anti-aging serums at affordable prices. After using our products, you will quickly notice a change in the look and feel of your skin as it becomes more radiant and beautiful. Contact Timeless Skin Care today to learn more about our top selling serum of 2017.

If you’ve ever entertained plastic surgery, we don’t need to remind you that asking lots of questions is a natural part of the process. But sitting down to think through the timing and the experience you’re signing up for is at least as important as your ultimate results. Before any kind of elective surgery, here’s a good place to start.
1. “Can I commit to recovery?”

Whether it’s tummy tuck, breast augmentation, or even a particularly deep laser treatment, it’s essential that you fully understand what the recuperation entails. Can you afford — financially and otherwise — to take a week or more off from work? Are you prepared to give yourself the rest you need, and are you OK with taking time away from the gym? You should also be comfortable handing over housework and other responsibilities to a friend or family member while your body heals, since you may be prohibited from heavy lifting, bending, or exerting yourself for some time after surgery.
Dr. Robert Cohen, a plastic surgeon in Los Angeles, recommends that patients have someone at home with them during the first 24 hours after any major surgery, such as breast augmentation. Get the full picture from your surgeon prior to scheduling your surgery, so that you can put together a recovery plan of action and be fully prepared.

2. “What’s my 5-year plan?”

You don’t need to have your long-term plans hammered out in great detail (after all, who does?), but it’s a good idea to have a rough idea of how your results will fit into your future — and whether you will still be glad you made the decision to undergo surgery in the first place.
Are you typically on the impulsive side? Are you prone to indecision? Are you basing your surgery on a fleeting trend, rather than your own personal goals? Take some time to really think about why you want to have surgery, and make sure the reason is still one you’ll be happy with in the years to come.

3. “Is everyone on board?”

Plastic surgery is a personal decision that is solely yours to make. But just like any other major event in life, it’s a lot easier to get through it when you have a strong support system. Before pursuing plastic surgery, you’ll likely need to have some serious conversations with your partner, your family, and maybe even your primary care doctor.
For one thing, with the cost of a typical breast augmentation inching toward $10,000, this isn’t a purchase you’ll want to make in secret. And elective surgery is still surgery, so if you have any ongoing health issues, it’s a good idea to get the green light from your regular doctor first.

4. “What do I need from a surgeon?”

Choosing a plastic surgeon is a bit different from choosing a dentist or a primary care doctor. Your insurance company isn’t going to cover it (except in a few specific circumstances) — but that also means they won’t be interfering or limiting your choices, so you’re free to shop around.
While finding a surgeon with the right credentials, like board certification, is objectively important, other factors are a matter of personal preference. For example, do you want a surgeon who talks to you like a BFF, or a serious doctor who’s all business?
It’s OK to be uncertain of what you want, especially if you’re still beginning the process. Schedule a few consultations with qualified doctors near you, so you can get a feel for the different “styles” out there and start narrowing down your options. Once you find the right fit, you’ll know it.

When you are running a business staying organized is beyond important, you need reminders to get things done– for me, even though this is the smart phone era, I like to see things written down.

Sometimes I remember something better when I’ve written it down, and yes, my iPhone reminders go off and I am reminded that it’s time to make or take a call, but I like the beauty of being able to take a look at a week across a couple of pages. Not to mention when the calendar book is stylish and cute it makes it that much more fun to carry around and open up and jot down thoughts.

When you’re a mom on top of running a business you also need to keep track of things you need to get done with and for your kids– you can’t miss a soccer game, trick or treating, reminders are everything when you need to keep appointments, make deadlines and never miss an important date.

That’s why I love MomAgenda, the daily planners are stylish and pretty, they are made for mothers who are busy and have schedules to run, dates to keep and who want to carry these pretty planners with them so that important thoughts and notes get written down as opposed to saved in a smart phone. I love my day planner.

The first box went out in September and was very well received. I am so excited to be doing this. It’s very early yet to tell if this will truly take off, but I am hoping it will.

My subscriber base is miniscule, so if you like what you see I urge you to try the box, you’ll be happy you did.

I really want this venture to be a success. I would LOVE your feedback in the comments below if you have input, criticisms, anything at all, please share it with me (that’s what comments are for).

To those of who who subscribed thank you for your support. Thanks for giving a newby a chance, I will not disappoint you, I am truly excited about this journey, and can’t wait to show you what I’ve got with more tremedous beauty products to come. To those of you who are just now hearing about the box, I hope you’ll decide to give it chance!

The price of the box is fair, I seriously thought about this for a long time prior to pricing, the products in the blog are going to continue to be high end brands, and it’s costly to keep that up therefore I have to be able to support providing the products that I love, so that you can receive something of value. The price of the box is $39.99 plus $5.95 for shipping. As you will see from a few reviews that the box has received to date (yay! I am so excited!) it has been well received. So, the first box was a success!!!

The box was reviewed by Elizabeth Foust of Everything & Nothin (I enjoy her blog, and I’m so excited that HandPicked is in it!). Read Elizabeth’s review here. Thanks so much Elizabeth for your kind review, I am so happy that the box was to your liking. HandPicked also received a review from Justine Maresca of My Subscription Depictions – her review was also a great review for the box. Read Justine’s review here. Thank you ladies for your lovely write ups.

Follow HandPicked on Twitter so that you can read more of the buzz about the box, and there has been a bit more buzz, in terms of Instagram and other photos and small videos.

You can subscribe on the blog– just click on the “Buy the Box” link at menu bar the top of the page. Or here.

If you are a blogger and would like to review the box on your blog and social media channels, please leave a comment in the comments section and I will reach out to you. I would really love a few additional reviews to help get the word out. I am currently offering a subscription at an editor’s rate and I will send you information about how to subscribe as an editor.

One more thing, the boxes were appropriate for the enclosed product, so thank you to Boxup for printing them– I’m quite happy with how they turned out, for the budget that I have to work with. And thanks to Sitckermule for the personalized stickers with the HandPicked logo, which added a little something more to the packaging. I’m quite happy with the way the box looks.

It’s finally going to happen!!! The box has been designed, sneak peak…

I would love to hear what you think (please leave your comments below)!

The collaborations are slowly happening– spoiler alert— one of the brands I’m going to collaborating with for the September box is Manna Kadar. I hope some of you reading this enjoy this brand, and if you don’t know the brand, purchase the September box. I hope to introduce you to this, and other fantastic brands!

I started my own business, and I am very excited! I hope you will be too; I want to tell you all about it. It’s a monthly beauty subscription box, and I think it will be perfect.

Please help me spread the word, and share this post on your blog, social media channels and any and all other means; I would appreciate it.

So, why a beauty subscription box? Especially when there are already a number of beauty subscription boxes out there.

My story

From a young age I have been obsessed with beauty products. An early-ish memory of mine is shopping for skincare products at Bloomingdale’s with my mother. I watched her buy a heck of a lot of creams, makeup, etc. and I fell in love with the experience! Ever since then I couldn’t wait to buy these products for myself! And when the time came… Let’s just say it’s been a wild journey since then. I have tried so many products (many of which have been featured here on the blog) others I have yet to tell the story about. I would like to tell the story of my beauty picks with this monthly subscription box.

If you subscribe, you will begin a journey with me to discover some of the wonderful beauty products that exist. Some you may already know and love, others you will be pleased (I hope!) to discover.

I invite you to discover my beauty picks!

About the box:

Each box will contain 5 full size beauty products, and will ship monthly. The charge will be $39.99 (plus the shipping cost). The value of the box will be up to $150.

The first box will go out in late August early September. I will be setting up a page on the blog to take orders. In the meantime if you are interested in the box please leave me your contact information in the comments below and I will reach out to you.

I would love to hear your thoughts, in fact I invite you to please share them with me by leaving a comment below! I’d love to hear any questions you might have. And hope I will have your support with this endeavor. I am forever grateful.

Thank you for reading and I hope you will join me in my journey with this box.

Stay tuned as I will be posting a picture of the customized box next week, and more details to follow.

There comes a time when our kids grow up and they go to college, when your kids go to college you will want to consider their living arrangements– I have the perfect example of a place that offers great living arrangements for university students. This is in Canada close to Simon Fraser University, this are offers nice housing for university students close to the school. When your children are away, going to a university not close to home, you will want them to have a place that they can call home, away from home– the home that you as a family built for them, a place for comfort, relaxation, a place to unwind and go home to.

Canadian University Real Estate prides itself in providing homes for students. Visit their site to discover real estate near Simon Fraser University. This site offers detailed listings near this university, their prices and some helpful information about the town, its streets, and neighborhoods so that your child and you can learn, ahead of time, what is available to your child, when they are away at school, as far as dining and entertainment so that they are able to build a life for themselves in the college town.

So, real estate in the location of your child’s university is a good investment. In order to find such a place you will need a guide and Canadian University Real Estate can be your guide with a website that offers a wealth of information that you will need to help you make a decision about where your child should live. It will help you prepare in advance of your travel there what you would like to see, do and a home for your child. It really is a benefit to parents to have sites like this with such a wealth of information available.

Alexia

Alexia is the editor of the website she launched in February of 2010, Los Angeles Mamma Blog. She collaborates with brands as an ambassador, merchandising looks, creating content for online channels and reviewing products. Her ever growing site is a hub of personal style and musings on beauty products, inspiring her readers to make the most of their lifestyle. Alexia is based in Los Angeles but enjoys working relationships with brands and businesses throughout the country and internationally. To learn more about working with Alexia, you can email her at: info[at]losangelesmammablog[dot]com.
Alexia newly founded HandPicked Box a monthly beauty subscription box and she is thrilled to be able to share her beauty finds with her subscribers. To find out more about the box browse the blog or email handpickedbeautybox[at]gmail[dot]com.